In the hands of an enterprising portraitist, almost anything could be a useful prop to render a memorable likeness that would stand out from all the others: a canteen with a Union soldier’s initials stenciled on the cloth cover; a striped bow tie worn with panache; or simply raingear. Confederate Private Hart wears a shiny oilcloth poncho and rubberized head and neck gear, the intense effect of which must have been unsettling even to the sitter.